I started this thinking I had some Andouille or other smoked sausage in the freezer, but that must be in the office stash. So I used bacon and spices to mimic it as closely as I could. Kinda still miss the spicy sausage thought… Next time I guess.
With this I made up some freezer packs, it freezes well, and with the rice already in the freezer it did great busy day meals.
The day before I measured out 8 ounces of red kidney beans.
Covered them with cold water and let soak overnight.
Look how the bean doubles in size just from the soaking. Dry beans are a major bang for your buck as they are cheap, high in protein and fiber. They take on flavors well, and are used in every cuisine worldwide.
This is where I use the big chunks of bacon that I usually mark ‘bean bacon’. I don’t just use it for beans, but I know what it means. Celery, onion, garlic, peppers – the veggie mix of New Orleans and southern cuisine. And a bag of chicken stock.
Chop onions, celery, and clean and chop peppers.
Render bacon in a large pot.
Add in chopped veggies.
Strain soaking water from the beans.
Rinse under running water.
Add chicken stock, and rinse the bag with half a bag of water, rinsing the bag.
Add the rinsed beans to the pot.
And the “bean” bacon – cut any overly large pieces to bite size.
Cayenne pepper.
Italian seasoning – A good palm full of all the spices.
White pepper … I just had a bit left so I tossed it in.
Onion powder.
Garlic powder.
Stir well and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one to one and a half hours until beans are tender but still hold their shape.
Take a couple ladles of the beans to a small bowl, and remove any bacon chunks.
Blend them with the stick blender.
Add the blended mixture back into the pot. This is a good way to thicken soups and stews without diluting the flavors with flour or cornstarch.
Meanwhile
While the beans are cooking we have time to whip up some cornbread muffins. Instead of making traditional cornbread in the cast iron, I do them in a muffin pan for individual servings to freeze in the meal packs.
Start by preheating the oven to 425. I usually start these after the beans have been cooking for about an hour.
Crack one egg into the bowl, add 1/2 cup of milk. Two tablespoons canola or other neutral oil.
One teaspoon vinegar – the vinegar and milk mimic buttermilk.
Whisk the wet ingredients together.
Set a wire mesh strainer over the bowl and add in 1/2 cup flour.
And 1/2 cup cornmeal.
One tablespoon sugar.
2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Sift the dry into the wet ingredients.
Whisk together until well incorporated.
Butter the muffin cups well – the only way to get it into all the corners is with your hands.
Fill the cups 3/4 full.
Bake in preheated 425 oven for 18-20 minutes. Heat a rice portion in the micro. Add a ladle of the red beans, and a side of buttered corn bread. Go ahead, dip the cornbread in the beans.
Portion out the beans for freezing. I did two for this weeks lunches, and had five for freezing with the muffins.
Once frozen I put together meal pack, with a bean portion, a rice portion, and a muffin.
I have always cooked, I was that person who could make a meal from an empty fridge. I have lived alone and with large and small families, I have cooked for camps on wood stoves, and in professional kitchens. I have lived and worked all over the west from Montana, to Seattle to Arizona to San Diego. I have traveled, maybe not 'all over the world', yet, and have collected tastes recipes and techniques everywhere, and every one I meet.
